Torch Helps Q3 & Q4 2024 Grants at Giving Tuesday

Torch Helps, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation established and administered by the employee-owners of Torch Technologies and its affiliated companies. On December 3, 2024, Torch Helps announced the Q4 2024 Large Grant Awardees as part of the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville’s Giving Tuesday event. Each grant recipient was chosen based on a vote of the Torch Technologies’ employee-owners and a detailed grant application vetting process. Each organization will receive a $10,000 grant to be used as outlined by their grant application.

“We congratulate each of the grant recipients recognized,” said Torch Helps President Allison M. Rhen. “These organizations are the unsung heroes of our communities – those meeting the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens. It is a privilege to support their efforts.” populations.

Q4 Grant Recipients

Morgan County Child Advocacy Center
Facility Location: Decatur, AL

The mission of the Morgan County CAC is to provide help and healing to children. Our vision is that no child who has experienced abuse will have to suffer in silence. The grant funds will assist the Morgan County Child Advocacy Center in the development of an on-site forensic medical exam room. For the past 20 years, the majority of Morgan County victims have traveled to Huntsville for medical exams related to sexual and physical abuse. The support provided by Torch Helps will help provide essential medical equipment needed to deliver comprehensive care to children In Morgan County, ensuring that victims of all ages have access to crucial victim-centered medical care in their home county.

Still Serving Veterans
Facility Location: Huntsville, AL

The mission of Still Serving Veterans is to serve and honor Veterans and their families by empowering them to build meaningful lives through connections to fulfilling careers, benefits, and services; and to proactively strengthen Veteran communities through leadership and collaboration. The Torch Helps grant will be used to support Veterans and their families who are dealing with a financial crisis due to a death, job loss, or illness. Still Serving Veterans pays utility bills and/or rent and provides grocery store gift cards. It will also pay the required deposits to get a home Veteran into HUD VASH housing.

Brigid's Path
Facility Location: Kettering, OH

The mission of Brigid's Path is to improve the health of newborn babies and mothers impacted by addiction. It offers grace for the past, support for the present, and hope for the future. The Torch Helps grant will be allocated to provide essential baby items for the infants it serves.

Easterseals Camp ASCCA
Facility Location: Montgomery, AL

The mission of Easterseals Camp ASCCA is to provide camping experiences for children and adults with disabilities. Camp ASCCA is open year-round. Within its barrier-free environment, Camp ASCCA offers 230 wooded acres on the shores of beautiful Lake Martin in Alabama. Grant funds will be used to provide camperships to children and adults with disabilities for summer camp.

Q3 Grant Recipients

HEALS, Inc.
Facility Location: Huntsville, AL

Mission Statement – HEALS, Inc. provides school-based medical care to children ages birth to 19 living in poverty in Huntsville/Madison County Alabama. The requested funds would cover a portion of our operational expenses for five medical clinics. We expect to improve health outcomes and health education for children living in poverty in Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama.

Intended Grant Use – This grant will fund the operational costs of our medical clinics and support uncompensated care. In 2023, HEALS delivered 3,120 medical visits, 1,800 vaccinations, 1,916 dental visits, 336 optometry visits, and provided 257 pairs of glasses. From July 2023 to June 2024, $136,000 worth of visits were for uninsured patients for which HEALS receives no reimbursement. Our clinics function as a medical home, reducing ER wait times and helping children return to school more quickly.

Downtown Rescue Mission
Facility Location: Huntsville, AL

Mission Statement – Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) earnestly serves the community through its mission of providing HELP and HOPE-help to overcome hunger, homelessness, addiction, and abuse-and eternal hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ and is fully committed to caring for everyone in need regardless of their personal faith preference. DRM also serves as a lighthouse in the community for the poor, homeless, and destitute in order to meet their physical and spiritual needs. Since 1975, DRM lives out its mission by serving Huntsville and surrounding communities through a vast array of programs and services to transform lives.

Intended Grant Use – Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) requests funding for the expansion of its Medical Wing and Community Health Clinic. This successful and growing community health initiative encompasses current community needs while removing barriers for participants. Expansion includes costs associated with medical equipment as well as lab and procedural costs associated with each patient's treatment. The influx of clients requiring medical services translates to current clinic capacity being strained and clinic staff triaging patients according to their individual health needs. The primary goal of this expansion is to improve the overall health of all participants thereby improving the health of the community.

Special Kids Special Families
Facility Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Mission Statement – To promote, strengthen, and support individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers.

Intended Grant Use – •We respectfully request funds for our Zach's Place program that serves children with high developmental, physical, behavioral, and medical needs. Care is offered on a sliding fee scale to ensure that families who need help the most can receive it (89% of client families have low income). The purpose of this request is to allow for the inclusion of children from low-income backgrounds who cannot afford the cost of services at Zach's Place, the ONLY licensed care center of our kind providing services to children ages 2.5 to 18 who have developmental disabilities and other special needs.

The Arc of Madison County
Facility Location: Huntsville, AL

Mission Statement – Give loving care and guidance to those with intellectual disabilities as they find their place in the world at large.

Intended Grant Use – Purchase items for early intervention program serving children 0-3 years of age. Items are inexpensive therapy related items given to low-income families and more expensive items to be loaned to all income levels. Such as nuk brushes, first stage spoons, adaptive cups, tri-chews, weighted blankets, FireFly GoTo chairs, LadyBug Corner chairs, support systems for gait training, four pelvic support systems.